2011 Climate Leadership Challenge offers students $50k top prize

October 7, 2010

Please read and share this call for proposals with your CALS students:

2011 Climate Leadership Challenge

UW-Madison students who participate in the 2011 Climate Leadership Challenge have the chance to win $50,000 for their innovative ideas and creative solutions for climate change. We are officially announcing the third annual Climate Leadership Challenge – a philanthropic innovation competition put on by the Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment.

UW-Madison students: we want your proposals for products or programs that address the causes or impacts of climate change. (Yes, we realize that’s a little vague. The point is for you to BE CREATIVE!!!)

In previous years, entrants have been primarily engineering and business students, but don’t let that scare off the scientists and artists and communicators among you! We welcome submissions from all disciplines. Like before, we’re open to technical innovation, but we’re also very interested in ideas that rely on social, educational, or interdisciplinary innovation. Focus on a climate change issue that drives your passion and figure out how your skills could be part of the solution.

The Climate Leadership Challenge wants proposals with three broad characteristics: innovative – an original product or program, or a new improvement or variation on existing products or programs; action-ready – something students could implement if provided with the necessary resources; and scalable – a product or program that could start on a small-scale and expand in scope with more time or funding.

Proposals for the 2011 competition will be due on Friday, March 25, 2011. Six winning teams will be selected to present their proposals at an exposition-style booth at the annual Nelson Institute Earth Day conference, scheduled for April 20, 2011, where the $50,000 Grand Prize winner will be announced.

We’ll be here to answer questions throughout the process, as well as to help play matchmaker for students looking to form interdisciplinary teams with students from other departments. Check out our website for contest details and follow our blog, facebook and twitter accounts to benefit from our updates, guidance and tips for building a successful team and a winning proposal.